Haru, Take the Wheel
It's another sunny day in the city of Tokyo. We begin this particular tale at the Kitagawa Residence where we see the likes of Yusuke and Haru leading their seven year old daughters towards the family car for a trip to the grocery store.
"Remember girls, we're only getting what's written on the list," Yusuke told his daughters, "I don't want a repeat of what happened last time where you kept adding to it and when it came time to check out we barely had enough money to pay for our food."
"In my defense, dad, most of those items were things that Mana wanted," Mitsu said, "I only wanted the chocolate milk."
"Way to rat me out, snitch," Mana pouted.
"Girls, play nice," Haru said before turning to her husband, "Hey, Yusuke, would it be okay if I drive us to the store this time?"
Hearing his wife ask that question made him stop in his tracks. While he loved Haru dearly and would do just about anything for her, letting her drive was one of the things in life that he wouldn't do, even if it meant saving his life. Ever since she drove him and their friends that one time during their road trip across Japan years ago, Yusuke never trusted Haru behind the wheel of any vehicle.
"Uh, no darling, it's fine," Yusuke said nervously, "I can drive."
"Nonsense, sweetie," Haru said with a smile, "Besides, you didn't get a lot of sleep last night because you were so busy on your latest painting. I insist."
"Well in that case," Yusuke said nervously as he reluctantly handed his wife the car keys.
With the keys in Haru's possession, she gets in the driver's seat as Mana and Mitsu get in the back. Before Yusuke get in, however, he runs back into the house and comes back moments later wearing a helmet.
"What's with the helmet, daddy?" Mana asked.
"For protection," Yusuke responded.
"Protection from what?" Mitsu asked.
"You'll see," Yusuke said.
Everyone straps themselves in as Haru puts the keys in the ignition, ready to drive.
"Everybody ready?" Haru asked her family.
"Yeah!" Mana and Mitsu said.
"No," Yusuke whimpered.
"Well, it's two against one," Haru said with a shrug of her shoulders before quickly backing out and speeding down the road.
You'd never know it if you saw her in public, but the beautiful, kind hearted, floofy haired angel that is Haru Kitagawa (nee Okumura) had a dark side to her. One that only appears when you get her in the driver's seat of a motor vehicle.
Haru drove like mad down the street, going well above the recommended speed limits and dodging pedestrians and traffic as if she were some kind of 'caped crusader' riding down the street on a badass motorcycle. Only she wasn't such a character, she was a loving wife and mother of two, as well as a local business owner.
As she drove, Yusuke was holding onto the 'Oh Shit' bar, eyes shut tight as he prayed that they'd all make it to the grocery store in one piece. Meanwhile, Mana and Mitsu were laughing and squealing with delight as if they were on the fastest roller coaster on the planet.
Eventually, the family made it to the grocery store in record time. When all was said and done, Haru had a cute smile on her face, Yusuke was left a dizzy mess in the front passenger seat, and Mana and Mitsu were laughing and cheering, adrenaline flowing through the two little girls like never before.
"We're here, everyone," Haru said sweetly, as though she didn't just break a couple hundred driving laws.
"Again! Again!" Mana cheered.
"That was so much fun," Mitsu concurred.
"Urk," Yusuke moaned as he got his bearings straight, "Girls, please don't drive like your mother when you grow up."
"To you daddy, I make no promises," Mana said.
"Come on, everyone, time's a wastin'," Haru said as the family got out of the car, with Yusuke leaving his helmet in the passenger seat, and walked into the grocery store.
Inside the grocery store, the Kitagawas are walking down one of the aisles looking for the items they need.
"Stay close, girls," Yusuke said as he noticed his daughters walk ahead of them to pick out some cereal. As the two girls tried to agree on a cereal to get, Yusuke decided to confront his wife about her reckless driving habits.
"Darling, just know that I love you, I've always loved you, and I'll continue to love you as long as time stands," Yusuke began, "But it's that same love that's making me tell you that you need to get your reckless driving habits under control."
"What are you talking about, sweetie," Haru asked, "I'm an excellent driver."
"Yeah, if we're talking about WOSCAR (NASCAR)," Yusuke said, "I'm just saying that our daughters are growing up, and as kids get older they start picking up habits that their parents are known for. I'm afraid Mana or Mitsu will grow up to be speed demons like you. They could potentially put their lives and the lives of others in jeopardy, just like you did moments ago. So please, I implore you, darling, for the sake of our daughters, control your driving habits."
Haru gave it some thought, and after mulling it over, Yusuke was right. While driving with reckless abandon was fun, it's not worth her life, her family's life, her friends' life, or the lives of others. She also thought about how her habits could potentially 'screw up' her children, and she didn't want that. Ever since they were born, she and Yusuke saw to it that Mana and Mitsu's lives would be light years better than their own. The twins getting a laundry list of traffic tickets and potentially serving time is definitely not what Haru and Yusuke had in mind for their daughters.
"I guess you're right, Yusuke," Haru said remorsefully, "Alright, it's settled. Starting today, I'll try and get my driving habits under control."
"Not to be rude, darling, but out of curiosity, how did you manage to get your license driving the way that you do?" Yusuke asked.
"I did something I'm very not proud of," Haru said somberly.
"Haru!" Yusuke gasped in horror.
"That's right, I sold my entire Hu-Gee-No Card Collection (Yu-Gi-Oh)," Haru explained, "My instructor was a bit of a nerd and when he heard I had the coveted Green Eyes Gray Dragon (Blue Eyes White Dragon) among other rare cards, he begged me for my collection and in return he would gave me my license."
"Oh…okay," Yusuke said.
"Why, what did you think I did?" Haru asked.
"Uh, nothing, don't worry about it," Yusuke said.
"Anyway, the next logical step in ensuring that my habits are broken is to find an instructor willing to teach me," Haru said.
"Well therein lies another small problem," Yusuke said, "This isn't exactly the first time we had a talk like this, and it's definitely not the first time we tried finding an instructor for you. I assume you remember what happened during those incidents?"
Haru looks off into the distance as she tries to remember all of the past times Yusuke hired a driving instructor for her.
In the first flashback, Haru is seen speeding down the road with a male instructor in the driver's seat, who is holding on to the 'Oh Shit' bar for dear life.
Male Instructor #1: Slow down, please! Slow down! Slow down! WATCH OUT FOR THAT PEDESTRIAN!
The pedestrian in question turned out to be none other than Suguru Kamoshida himself, who saw the speeding car coming right at him, and he (unfortunately) leapt out of the way just in time.
In the second flashback, Haru now has a female instructor in the driver's seat. The instructor is trying to teach Haru how to back up when parking.
Female Instructor: Alright Mrs. Kitagawa, just back up nice and slow for me.
Haru put the car in reverse before slamming her foot on the gas, sending them flying passed the assigned parking space and into a fire hydrant which started spewing water. The instructor looks at an embarrassed Haru with an annoyed look.
Haru: Uh…sorry about that.
In the third flashback, another male instructor is teaching Haru. Like with the other male instructor, Haru is speeding down the road while he dug his fingers into the dashboard. As she's driving Haru is making turns without the use of her turn signals.
Male Instructor #2: Turn signals! For God's sake, use your turn signals! (He goes pale) Pull over, I think I'm gonna be sick!
Haru pulls over on the side of the road, once again failing to use her turn signals, and the instructor opens the passenger door to throw up as the floofy haired woman just watches.
"Yeah, I don't think anyone is going to want to teach me," Haru said, coming up with this realization, "So what do we do now?"
"Mom, dad, look! Auntie Makoto's here!" Mitsu exclaimed as she looked into the distance towards the meat department and saw Makoto looking for something delicious to cook for her family this evening.
"Let's go say hi," Mitsu said as the Kitagawas went up to meet their brunette friend.
"Auntie Makoto, hi!" Mana exclaimed as she and Mitsu went up to Makoto and hugged her.
"Girls, hi, how are you," Makoto smiled as she returned the hug.
"Where's Uncle Ryuji and Himari?" Mana asked.
"Well, Ryuji had to go to work and Himari is being babysat by his mom Nanami," Makoto explained, "I'm just coming back from the hospital to see how Sae was doing after she broke her leg."
"Sae broke her leg?" Yusuke asked, "How did that happen?"
"Nothing too extreme, she just wasn't looking where she was going and she took a tumble down a flight of stairs," Makoto explained, "But she's fine now and will make a full recovery in a few weeks. But how are you guys?"
"We're fine," Haru said, "We're just trying to figure out what we're going to do when it comes to breaking my bad speeding habits."
"We've acquired the aid of every driving instructor but to no avail," Yusuke chimed in.
"Not every driving instructor," Makoto said, "I recently decided to start a weekend program where I give driving lessons."
"Oh really?" Haru asked with intrigue, "How's that going?"
"To be honest…not very well," Makoto sighed, "Not one person signed up for it so far. So, maybe you can sign up, and if it goes well, you know, word will spread and I can get this side hustle of mine off the ground? What do you say?"
"You're willing to teach me?" Haru asked.
"Sure," Makoto said, "And because you're my friend, and my first student, this lesson will be for free."
"You know what they say, 'If it's free, then it's for me!'," Haru smiled, "Sign me up,"
"Wonderful," Makoto said, "Meet me outside the Shibuya Precinct at 10 A-M this Saturday and we can get started."
"I'll be there," Haru said, "See you then."
"Give Ryuji and Himari our best," Yusuke chimed in.
"Bye Auntie Makoto," Mana said as she waved goodbye.
"Bye," Mitsu said with a wave.
"Goodbye, everyone," Makoto said as the Kitagawas walked off and she continued looking at the cuts of meat.
The rest of the week proceeded as normal until Saturday came when Haru was seen approaching the Shibuya Precinct. There she sees Makoto, who is wearing her police uniform, waiting next to her car.
"Right on time," Makoto said as she greeted her friend.
"10 A-M like you said," Haru said before turning her attention to her car, "I thought we'd be using one of your cop cars."
"Can't risk getting one of them banged up," Makoto explained, "Repairs come out of our paycheck if something happens to them."
"I understand," Haru said as Makoto handed her the keys.
"Alright, get in the driver's seat and we can get started," Makoto said as she got in the front passenger side and Haru got in the driver's seat. The two women buckle their seat belts before Makoto asks, "Now then, what's the first thing you do?"
"1924?" Haru asked.
Makoto chuckled a little before getting back on topic.
"No, seriously, what's the first thing you do?" Makoto asked again.
"Push the pedal to the metal," Haru asked.
"No, Haru, you have to adjust your mirrors," Makoto said, "There's a little knob on your door that fixes the side mirrors. But the rear view mirror has to be adjusted manually."
Haru adjusts her mirrors before awaiting further instructions.
"Now turn the car on," Makoto said…but Haru seemed to take it the wrong way as she soon started to rub her hand up and down the gear stick, confusing the brunette.
"Mmm, you like that don't you?" Haru purred as she put the key into the ignition and turned it on, "You like that, don't you? Oh, you're such a naughty little thing."
"I don't mean 'turn it on' like that," Makoto said disturbed.
"Oh, lighten up, Makoto," Haru said, "It's just a little joke. And besides I'm sure what you just saw me do is no different than whatever it is you and Ryuji do to each other behind closed doors."
"So…" was all Makoto could say after a moment of silence and a deep blush appeared on her face. She quickly regained her composure before continuing, "Anyway, step on the break and set the gear to drive."
"The break's the big pedal, right?" Haru asked.
"Yeah," Makoto responded as Haru followed her instructions, "Good, we're almost there. Now, gently press on the gas and…"
Before Makoto could finish her sentence…
ZOOM!
Haru had slammed her foot on the gas sending the two of them careening down the street at a breakneck pace.
"Too much gas! Too much gas!" Makoto screamed, her right hand clutching the 'Oh Shit' bar, and her left hand clutching the armrest that separated the driver and passenger seats, "Stop the car! Stop the car!"
Haru pulled over on the side of the road and allowed her friend to get her bearings straight.
"Okay, Haru, listen up and listen good because I'm only going to say this once," Makoto said as she took a deep breath, "Your biggest problem is that you put too much pressure on your foot when you press the gas."
"Well how hard am I supposed to press it?" Haru asked.
"Not hard at all," Makoto said before coming up with an idea, "Listen, there was this cartoon I used to watch as a kid where one of the characters was trying to pass a driving test just like you are right now. And when it came time to press on the gas, instead of using his whole foot, he just used his big toe to press on the gas. So, what I'm suggesting is that you put all of your power in your big toe and push the gas pedal with it. I know it sounds crazy, but it just might work."
"Alright, let's try it," Haru said as she adjusted her foot so the part of her shoe where her big toe was located was touching the gas pedal.
"Good," Makoto said as she reached for the 'Oh Shit' bar and shut her eyes, "Remember, gently now."
With a deep breath, Haru puts all of her power in her big toe and she nudges the gas pedal with it. Before she knows it, Haru is driving down the road at a smooth pace instead of the sonic speeds that she was known for.
"Oh my God, I'm doing it!" Haru exclaimed, "I'm doing it!"
"Are we dead yet?" Makoto whimpered with her eyes still shut.
"No, Makoto, look!" Haru said as Makoto slowly opened her eyes, delightfully surprised that her friend was driving like a normal person.
"No way," Makoto said in amazement as a smile appeared on her face, "You're doing it! You're actually doing it!"
"Oh, Yusuke and our girls would be so proud of me right now if they could see me," Haru said.
"We've still got a lot to learn before you can be a truly great driver though, Haru," Makoto said, "Don't think we're out of the woods yet."
"Whatever it is you have to teach me, do it," Haru said confidently, "I'm in it for the long haul!"
"Let's not waste any more time then," Makoto said.
And so, a montage begins…
The first shot of the montage is Makoto teaching Haru how to use the turn signals, which she uses during a series of turns on the way to the gas station where they quickly fuel up Makoto's car. Makoto also teaches Haru the hand signals just in case the blinkers go out.
The second shot shows the two of them driving through a dark tunnel so Haru can learn how to use the headlights and high beams. Haru flicks the switch and the headlights light their way out of the tunnel.
The third shot involves Makoto teaching Haru about what everything on the dashboard means as well as what the buttons and knobs on the console do, such as the setting on the air conditioner, the radio, etc.
The fourth shot shows Makoto teaching Haru how to execute different kinds of parking. She takes Haru to a parking lot so she can park normally in a parking space, and she teaches her how to parallel park properly too.
The final shot in the montage is Haru and Makoto driving up to a drive thru to grab a couple of milkshakes. When they get their shakes, they do a 'cheers' as they continue on their merry way. As they drive however, they nearly get hit by an impatient driver.
"Watch where you're going, you dumb broad!" The driver could be heard saying.
"Hey, Haru, you want me to teach you something cool?" Makoto asked as she whispered in the floofy haired woman's ear.
Haru smiled and giggled wickedly before rolling down her window, sticking her arm out, and flipping off the impatient driver. The two women laugh hysterically as they sip on their milkshakes and drive into the sunset.
Haru is now an excellent driver, and her days of being a speed demon are long gone.
Later that evening, after dropping Haru off at her house, Makoto makes it back to her own home where she finds her husband Ryuji and her daughter Himari getting the dining room table set up for dinner. The father and daughter have been out most of the day spending some quality time with each other, so they brought home some pizza so nobody had to cook anything.
"Hey, you two," Makoto said as she gave her husband and daughter a hug and a kiss.
"Hi, mommy," Himari said.
"How was your day, love?" Ryuji asked.
"Not too bad, I can't complain," Makoto replied, "What about you guys?"
"Mom, it was great," Himari said, "We went to go see the new Adolescent Monster Dualist Lizards Movie (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) before we went to the go-kart track and the batting cages."
"You should've seen our little girl, Makoto," Ryuji said with a proud smile, "Himari hit five home runs in a row. I've never seen anything like it."
"Wow, good for you, Himari," Makoto congratulated her daughter as she gave her a high five.
"So how was your driving test with Haru, Makie?" Ryuji asked, "I know you were nervous about it earlier today. But seeing that you're here in one piece I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it went well?"
"It started out rough, I'm not going to lie to either of you," Makoto began, "But once I gave her the right advice she became a natural at it."
"That's awesome!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Good to see you believe me," Makoto smiled before frowning, "I just with the rest of our friends would. Haru and I tried calling the likes of Ren, Ann, and Futaba to tell them, but it didn't sound like they believed me."
"They must still be traumatized from our road trip across Japan," Ryuji realized, "What about the likes of Sumire, Ichiro, Shiho, Daisuke, Mishima, Hayato, and Hifumi? They weren't with us then."
"Yeah, but I'm sure the others warned them about Haru's driving habits," Makoto said before perking up, "But I told them all to come with us for a ride to Inokashira Park tomorrow so they can see just how much she improved."
"Can't wait," Ryuji said.
"Me neither," Himari said as she took her seat at the table, "But I also can't wait to chow down on some pizza! I'm hungry!"
"Alright, sweetheart, settle down," Ryuji said, "Dinner's coming up right now."
Ryuji pulled the chair out for Makoto to sit in and she thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. Ryuji then sat down at his spot at the table so the three of them could eat their pizza dinner.
The next day, all 13 of Haru's friends and their kids, Yusuke, Mana, and Mitsu obviously included, are waiting on the side of the street for the floofy haired woman to arrive. The Yajima Family, Hayato, Hifumi, and Hotaru, all had wicker baskets with them, intending to have a picnic with their friends when they heard that they'd be going to Inokashira Park.
"I wonder where she is," Hifumi wondered.
"You guys don't think she got lost, do you?" Futaba asked everyone.
"Have faith in her, Futaba," Yusuke said, "I do."
"Is that why you're carrying your helmet under your arm, dad?" Mitsu asked as she pointed at the helmet in Yusuke's arm. In response, Yusuke just tossed the helmet away.
"I don't know about you guys, but if Auntie Haru slips back into her old habits, then I'm ready for the greatest ride of my life," Kas, A.K.A Kasumi II, said.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Kas, but I think Haru is going to show you and everyone else that she's a changed driver," Makoto said just as the sound of a car horn is heard.
The next thing the group of 25 see is a van smoothly coming around the corner. And it's not any van, it's the same van that the likes of Ren, Ann, Futaba, Yusuke, Ryuji, Makoto, Morgana, and Haru rode in during their road trip years ago.
"Wow, I can't believe that van is still running," Ren said to himself in surprise.
The van came to a gentle stop in front of the group as the window rolls down to reveal Haru in the driver's seat, who is smiling sweetly at them.
"What do you think, everyone?" Haru asked, "Not too bad, right?"
"It's certainly a good start," Ryuji said.
"What do you say, everyone," Makoto asked as she opened the van door for everyone to go inside, "Are you ready to see how much Haru improved?"
"Do we have a choice?" Yuuki asked.
"I hope we don't have to stay in there for too long," Nariko said, "I get claustrophobic sometimes."
"Don't worry, Nariko," Riku said, "You can hold my hand if you get scared."
"All aboard!" Haru shouted as everyone piled into the van.
Once everyone got inside they buckled their seatbelts as Haru adjusted the mirrors and turned on the A/C.
"Let me know if any of you get cold and I'll turn the A/C off," Haru said.
"Alright, darling," Yusuke said.
"Are we ready to go?" Haru asked everyone.
"Let's get this over with," Ann said with dread in her voice.
"Here we go," Haru said as she gently pushed the gas pedal with her big toe and got back on the road.
To the adult's surprise, and the children's disappointment, Haru was actually driving like she had some sense. They were so happy to see Haru obeying speed limits, using turn signals, and just being an all around sane person behind the wheel. They realized then and there that Makoto had worked a miracle and taught the seemingly unteachable.
After a nice cruise through the city, the gang finally made it to Inokashira Park, where the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, making the environment look like a vibrant painting. Haru smoothly parks the car before looking over at everyone else.
"We're here," Haru smiled, "Did you all enjoy the ride?"
Her friends all gave nods and sounds of approval, making her very happy.
"I would've liked it better if we went super fast," Kas pouted.
"Don't worry, Kas," Ichiro said, "We'll take you to Destinyland this weekend and you can go on whatever ride you want."
"Oh boy!" Kas said excitedly.
"I still can't believe it," Futaba said, "We made it from Point A to Point B in one piece."
"You did good, Makie," Ryuji said as he hugged his wife, "I guess Himari is going to be in good hands when she grows up and she needs to learn how to drive."
"True," Makoto said, "But I don't want to rush things. I want to enjoy our daughter as a child for as long as we can."
"Yeah, me too," Ryuji said as she joined his wife in hugging their daughter.
"Aw, I love you guys," Himari said.
"We love you too, our little sunshine," Ryuji and Makoto both said.
"Well now that our voyage to the park is over," Hayato said as he, Hifumi, and their son Hotaru held up their wicker baskets, "Who's up for a little picnic lunch?"
Everyone cheered when Hayato made this proposition and they all quickly piled out of the van to search for a spot in the park to set up, with Haru, Yusuke, and their daughters stepping out last to stare after their friends. Mana and Mitsu both notice that Minato, Ren and Ann's son, is giving his sister Kimiko a ride on his shoulders to help her keep up with the rest of the group.
"Wow, Minato sure is strong," Mana swooned as Mitsu nodded her head. The twin girls then left to join their friends, leaving their parents alone.
Yusuke looks over at his wife to see her smiling proudly.
"I'm so proud of you, darling," Yusuke said with a smile, causing Haru to turn in his direction.
"Thank you, sweetie," Haru said as she gave her husband a peck on the cheek, "Shall we join the rest of our friends? It looks like they found a place to eat."
Haru points at the group as they unfold some picnic blankets beneath a big cherry blossom tree and begin preparing their lunch.
"Yes, let's," Yusuke said as he took his wife by the hand and they walked over to join their friends, both of them very happy that Haru managed to break her bad driving habits and set a better example for their daughters.